Gabriel Magalhaes injury: Charles Watts names perfect Arsenal replacement vs. Spurs – it’s not who you think

Arsenal expert Charles Watts said exclusively Sports mole his ideal replacement for the injured Gabriel Magalhaesand that’s not what many Gooners think.

The Gunners were hoping to receive some positives injury news on the international period, with Noni Madueke, Viktor Gyokeres and Gabriel Martinelli stepping up their recovery in the hope of being ready for daunting matches against Tottenham Hotspur, Bayern Munich and Chelsea later this month.

Instead, Mikel Arteta will deplore the absence of critical defender Gabriel, who is expected to face one to two months of absence with the thigh injury he suffered during Brazil’s friendly victory against Senegal at the Emirates a few days ago.

Gabriel’s problem would apparently open up a place in the team at left back Piero Hincapie fit in, but Watts thinks that Christian Mosquera would be a better decision, even if he is mostly on the right side.

When asked who his first choice would be to replace Gabriel, Watts replied: “I can’t give you a definitive answer to that because I don’t know. I think I would probably go with Mosquera. I don’t think I would want to move Calafiori, because you shake up the defense and you get injured twice.

“And Mosquera wasn’t wrong. He looks so strong. Yes, he’s more of a right-footed player, but he’s played on the left a few times, and he knows about it. He knows exactly what it’s about. He’s earned that spot.

Why Cristhian Mosquera deserves to replace Gabriel for Arsenal

“If it was a month from now, then maybe I would go to Hincapie. But he probably won’t come back until Thursday. He’ll have a lot of miles in his legs. Maybe that will come into consideration.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if Mikel went with Hincapie though. Mikel really picks on Hincapie every time he talks about his mentality, calling him a warrior, so it wouldn’t shock me if it was Hincapie playing there. Luckily that’s not the case, but if it was my decision I’d go to Mosquera.”

Mosquera and Hincapie are just two of five players who could potentially fill the Gabriel void for Arsenal, who also have Riccardo Calafiori, Ben White and Jurrien Timber, but Arteta has arguably lost an irreplaceable player in the Brazil international.

The Gunners won 64% of their matches with Gabriel in the team, compared to just 40% when he was out, and footage of him limping during Brazil’s victory sparked an inevitable outcry among fans online over Carlo Ancelotti’s decision to play him.

The former Real Madrid manager apologized during his press conference as fans questioned why Gabriel was risking for a friendly, especially after reports claimed he was training separately before the match in order to manage his load.

However, with the World Cup only a few months away and Gabriel looking to cement his place in Brazil’s XI, Watts defended Ancelotti’s decision to take risks with the 27-year-old, whose problem can be attributed to bad luck rather than poor management.

Gabriel Magalhaes injury: are Brazil and Ancelotti to blame?

“It’s always a big game,” Watts responded. “There are about four games left before the World Cup, and you ask Gabriel if he wants to play this game, he will absolutely say yes. It wasn’t like Gabriel was the only first team player playing.

“It’s a big game for Ancelotti. He’s just arrived, he hasn’t played many games and wants to see who he wants to involve in the World Cup. It was also at the Emirates – his own stadium – there was no chance Gabriel wouldn’t play in that game. So I don’t really buy that argument.

“I understand, because it’s incredibly frustrating. If you’re a fan of the club whose player has just got injured, of course you’re going to think: ‘oh, why is he playing in a friendly?’ But never in my mind did I expect Gabriel to play. He was the center of all the publicity for this film. But it’s obviously incredibly, incredibly disappointing.

“I saw the reports from journalists in the Brazil camp suggesting he was training alone on Friday. I don’t know if that was the case. I don’t know if Arsenal had been in contact with Brazil. It’s ironic – normally you’d say it was because of all that flying halfway around the world, but he didn’t even leave home!

“Sometimes it’s a matter of luck. I feel an emotional reaction, but he’s always, always played that game. He’s only just worked his way into the Brazil team as well. It hasn’t been that long since he’s been in and out of the team. He doesn’t want to take that risk before the World Cup.”

In brighter news, Calafiori expected to shake off minor hip problem in time for this weekend’s north London derby, but there’s a good chance Gabriel – who has scored two goals and provided three assists this season – will have last played in 2025.

> Click here to listen to the full discussion on Gabriel’s injury and potential Arsenal replacements

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